The Greatest Padawan
by James 'Bucky' Buchanon Barnes
Summary: A story of Yousa Bapeo, a Jaldarian Padawan who must go beyond the realms of ordinary to save his sickened Master. Rated T for lightsaber violence and blood.
1. Store Trip

His master Jans Rudo led him to one of the training areas frequently used by the teachers. It was a rare day of bad weather on the planet, and Master Rudo had suggested a bit of training.

Fair, Yousa supposed. He had been so busy with Jans as of recently that he had seldom time to sleep, let alone train. His training was more practical he thought, as most of the last three weeks had been spent in the field.

Yousa wondered if perhaps they could eat something before starting training, but he wondered if he really wanted to eat the food at the temple. Normally for lunch on Wednesdays there was a kind of herbal broth served. And while Yousa had always enjoyed it before, he wondered if it might be a little too rich for his stomach after many weeks of constant hunger.

He had felt the need to void his stomach last night when they'd arrived back on Coruscant to the temple. He had never actually vomited before, so it was a bit shocking when, what felt like a hiccup, turned out to be... Not.

Jans had been sympathetic, and anyway, Jedi didn't laugh at each other. Or even their Padawan.

No, Yousa supposed he wasn't hungry enough to test that particular theory. He would simply continue eating Nutrition Paks. Until he could stomach those easily, he wouldn't push himself.

They had not known when they'd left for Watil that they'd be there for so long. Nor had they known the depths they would have to sink to stop the trafficking ring on the planet. It'd made the slave trade on Tatooine look quaint in comparison.

They stepped into a large oval shaped room that would serve their purposes. Yousa sat down on the floor cross-legged, placing his hands on his knees and started breathing slowly. Jans sat with him, facing him. They'd only been meditating for maybe a quarter of an hour when Yousa felt a presence. It took him less than a second to identify a presence he had felt only three times in his life.

Master Kenobi stood outside of the room, and Master Rudo stood and walked to the door. Yousa sensed that Master Kenobi sought council with Jans. Had sensed her in the temple and come to speak with her. He understood that the conversation could not possibly have anything to do with him, so he did not follow. Then another presence.

It was quiet and maybe a little familiar, though Yousa could not remember where he'd last sensed it. He'd met Master Kenobi at meal times, or in the library once or twice. Yousa only knew who he was because of his normally very alert mind. But the presence was not one he could place in the infinite memory Master Rudo claimed he possessed. He tried not to focus on it.

Then the door opened once again. "Yousa, come here." Called Master Rudo. He rose from his sitting position. Master Kenobi offered a smile and a nod in acknowledgement of the Padawan. Yousa looked around for the other presence and saw another Padawan behind Master Kenobi. He was tall, though he could not be much older than Yousa based on his face. With dark hair and a smirk. Yousa recognized him from supper, where he'd seen him a few months prior.

"Yousa this is Master Kenobi. And this is his Padawan Anakin." Master Rudo told him. He bowed to Master Kenobi and nodded in acknowledgement of Anakin. "Master Kenobi was just telling me that he would require additional assistance with an errand. He was wondering if you'd like to come."

Yousa didn't question his Master often, for she did not lead him wrong. But he sensed, not with the Force but with his common sense, that there was something not being said. He nodded, more to show he'd heard her speak than to actually say yes or no. "I sought you out for your unusually high test scores. You've proven academically successful in all your learning. I'd be asking for you to render assistance in picking some equipment for a dangerous mission."

Yousa understood that Jans probably needed some time alone. As she had been very disturbed by the mission they'd come back from. He would never say his Master was weak, but she was a fragile person. She probably needed to take some time alone. That was fine by Yousa.

He nodded, not that he'd probably had much choice in the matter, and he looked at Jans. "Will I see you for supper?" He asked. His species, a Jaldarian, had oddly shaped mouths (like a fish) on their otherwise humanoid bodies, and they often sounded as if they had a thick German accent. Master Rudo smiled.

"Yes, I will see you." He nodded then moved to stand next to Anakin behind Master Kenobi. He assumed that Anakin stood behind his Master out of respect or perhaps his Masters' preference, he was not trying to stand next to Anakin specifically. Anakin seemed to pick up on this. He held out a hand. "Anakin Skywalker." He introduced himself. "Yousa Bapeo." He told him, they shook.

Anakin smirked again. Masters Kenobi and Rudo were discussing something quietly, clearly not meant for their ears. Anakin turned his head to look out a window in the hallway they stood in. Yousa could see ships taking off and landing, skyscrapers being built or expanded by droids. The monotony of Coruscant.

Finally, Master Kenobi beckoned them to follow with a hand and they followed at a short distance. Master Kenobi kept glancing back at them over his shoulder, until finally he stopped altogether. They came to a stop behind him. "What are you doing back there?" The Padawan exchanged looks. "I was following you." They said in unison to each other. They shrugged after a second and walked with him in toe, on either side.

Master Kenobi asked Yousa questions about himself. "How old are you?" They were coming into a garage where the temple kept some gliders. "13 standard years." He answered quickly. "Ah, same age as Anakin here. Have you two met?" They shook their heads no. Master Kenobi selected an orange glider that could seat four. "This should work nicely." He told them.

Yousa hopped over the side and into the passenger seat. But instead of Master Kenobi taking the controls, Anakin did. "Go slow Anakin, we're not podracing." He scowled at his Master in the mirror, and was adjusting everything to fit him. He moved the seat forward and rotated the mirrors to work for him. With everyone strapped in (Master Kenobi was in the backseat) Anakin flew them out of the parking garage and into the steady air traffic.

Anakin seemed to be a natural born flyer, and they were on their way in no time. "Master Kenobi, where are we going?" Yelled Yousa over the air rushing around them. Anakin hit a button on the console and a canopy flipped up over the interior of the glider. It was almost silent, but for the anti-gravity engines.

"We are going to the shopping district. I have some business to attend to alone, in the meantime I shall require you to buy some things for me." He pulled out a pouch with a card in it. He handed the card to Yousa. "This is a credit card, you'll be able to use it to pay for everything I'll need."

He rattled off a list of things to buy. Among them were Nutrition Paks, some camping supplies, and a more compact, speed oriented glider that the Jedi Temple did not have. He would need all of this on a mission to Hoth, he told them. "Hoth?" Asked Yousa, the name was one he'd never heard of. "Hoth, it's the sixth planet of the Hoth system. I don't expect you'd know it, it is rather remote. It's very cold in the planet, so I'll be needing the right supplies for the environment."

Yousa removed a tablet from the console of the glider. He found Hoth in the Jedi Database, he read a bit about the wildlife. Then made a few notes. "Will you be requiring moisture collectors for your trip?" Master Kenobi thought on it. "No, I'll use my ship to find a lake when I land. I will need water purifiers however."

Yousa nodded. Then read more about Hoth. He could not find any information about settlements there. "Master Kenobi, why are you going to Hoth? I don't see anything in the Database about settlements." He shook his head. "You wouldn't. There is a small one near the equator of the planet, where the cold is more tolerable. I believe a man I was trying to capture may be hiding there."

They started to descend, into one of the closer shopping districts. Anakin brought them in for a smooth landing. He opened the canopy and the two Padawan got out of the vehicle, Yousa tucking the credit card into his boot and held his tablet for easy reading.

Master Kenobi was having a few words with Anakin while Yousa examined a holographic projection of Hoth.

"Anakin, stay safe, and listen to Yousa!" Anakin nodded, and Master Kenobi took off, now flying the glider himself.

Yousa showed the other Padawan a sign a few blocks away, announcing Speeders for all climates. "We'll need that first if we if are to carry around our purchases." He suggested. Anakin nodded. They walked quickly. Master Kenobi had given them no time of his arrival, but told Anakin apparently that he'd "be back soon."

Once they reached the shop, it was rather empty. The rain coupled with the workday meaning not many people were shopping today. The few patrons and salesmen in the showroom were surprised to see two Padawan shopping. They walked around for a minute before a salesman came to assist them, a practiced way of making customers feel like this was their choice, that they weren't being badgered. It was very well done, Yousa thought.

"Hello there, what can I help you find?" Asked the man interestedly. He had a bit of a cockney accent, but it was a bit marred by his large nose. Yousa stepped forward quickly as Anakin mounted a single person speeder, testing it. "We are looking for something good in cold weather climates. Fast, but handleable in snowy conditions." The man thought for a moment, watching Anakin test how the seat felt on a different speeder.

"I can show you a line of vehicles that may interest you, how cold were you thinking?" Yousa thought for a second. "The North Pole of Watil." He answered, not wanting to give away the mission, though he wasn't sure how secret it could be. The salesman shivered at the thought. "Very cold, then." He beckoned for them to follow, and Anakin gave him the thumbs up from behind the speeder he was examining.

They stepped into a turbolift with the man and the glass doors slid shut. They whizzed past a large number of floors, Yousa noted that the further up in the building they went, the less sporty the vehicles became.

Soon they slowed to a stop, landing on a floor filled with dark black vehicles. Clearly meant to be highly visible in white snow. The doors slid open and the man led them to a larger model. "This here is a righ' beau'y. Made for traction in cold climates, and made so the battery will start in negative degree weather. Also has a bit of armor, if you need it."

Yousa nodded appreciatively. Anakin strode forward, examining the visible bits of engine. "How many can it seat?" Anakin asked. The long slender body looked like you just straddled it. "Recommended for four. See the foot mounts on the side? The front ones obviously double as ignition and throttle."

"Weapons systems?" Asked Yousa, pointing to a forward mounted something. "Oh, right, not much in the way of weapons, that's a harpoon, that is. Can sink through ten feet of metalcrete. Meant to pull down glaciers and whatnot, for easy driving."

Yousa nodded, but awaited Anakin's verdict. Him being the flying expert. "And what's the top speed?" Asked Anakin eventually. "Two hundred and twenty kilometers per hour." Anakin whistled. "Not as fast as a podracer, but still sure to get your blood boiling." Said the seller eagerly. Anakin's eyes widened slightly. "True."

The Padawan exchanged looks. Anakin nodded. "And... How much?" Asked Yousa quietly. The seller grinned, his teeth baby blue. "For rental or purchase?" Yousa thought that in any case, the speeder looked good.

"Should've just bought it." Said Yousa as they waited for someone to bring it out to them. "Do you know how long your mission will take?" Asked Yousa. "Master Kenobi doesn't seem to think it will take long." Yousa shook his head. "Well, he better have it back in two weeks, or it would've been cheaper to buy the thing."

Ten minutes later, they were riding it to the All Store. Anakin wasn't going full throttle (as those speeds weren't allowed), but he was certainly having fun with the handling, but with the footrests on the side and the handles in front of each rubber 'seat', Yousa felt secure.

Once they'd parked in the cavernous docking bay outside the store, Yousa and Anakin were on their way inside. Yousa checking his boot quickly to make sure he still had the card. Once inside they were confronted with thousands of aisles that stretched across the many kilometer long room. In any of these aisles were the thing they needed.

A shopping drone came to assist them. "Hello, what can I help you find today?" Asked the drone in a computerized chirp. "Camping supplies." Yousa told the drone. A shopping pad came over and the Padawan stepped onto it. The drone and the pad moved at the same speed.

They reached their destination in less than twenty minutes. Which given the vastness of the store, was very quick indeed. On the walls of the fifty foot aisles were tents of every shape and color, spits for roasting food, sleeping bags that were large enough for a Hutt. "Master Kenobi said he was getting clothing appropriate for the climate." Anakin told Yousa.

Nodding, Yousa gave directions to the drone, who would raise and lower the pad to any of the shelves. Yousa picked a tent meant for cold weather. It could supposedly hold ten people. But with everything that Master Kenobi and Anakin were bringing, it would probably be the right size.

Next he picked out a cooking stove for the Nutrition Paks or any other food. He picked out some thick blankets and some large boxes of fire kits for when they were camping. After a few more minutes of buying they seemed to have acquired everything. They payed with the drone and left, the packages being brought to their speeder.

They tied everything on, and once they were certain it was secure, Anakin kicked the engine into life and they were off. Master Kenobi called Anakin on his holographic projector. Anakin was driving, so Yousa answered for him. "Hello Master Kenobi! Anakin is driving right now!" Yelled Yousa.

Master Kenobi nodded. "And have you got everything?" Yousa shook his head yes. "Excellent. Is it easier to simply meet me at the Temple?" "Yes! We'll be there soon!" And he hung up. He banged on Anakin's shoulder, yelled "Temple!" and pointed towards its vague shape on the horizon. The Padawan nodded.

They pulled into a the parking area where they met Master Kenobi and Master Rudo. Once Anakin was shutting down the roaring engine, the Jedi approached. "Certainly stylish." Said Master Kenobi with a smile. "And visible in the snow." Added Yousa. "We picked out camping supplies for your trip, all here." He motioned to the boxes tied to the speeder.

Master Kenobi smiled approvingly. Master Rudo looked strained. "Master? Is something wrong?" She motioned him over a distance. They stood away from the others.

AN: Hope you enjoyed this, if you're a Star Wars fan or a casual reader, leave a review!


	2. Council Approval

Yousa lay in bed that night, awake and hopeless to sleep. He was on his back, staring at the ceiling of his small quarters, dressed in a comfortable set of sleep clothes, a woolly pair of socks on his feet.

It was too late for her now. She had felt a pain in her chest a few days prior, and now she was diagnosed. How a virus could exist in the water on Watil in the first place was troubling. But it only affected humans, and it could kill females especially quickly.

His own species was immune, but he didn't feel happy. He would not allow himself fear. Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering. Master Yoda's words bled through his mind. He felt as though the pressure of them was giving him his headache.

Nights like tonight... Would not be spent in disquiet. He would occupy himself. He rolled out of his bunk, and moved to his wardrobe. He dressed quietly, pulling on his boots moments later and stepping towards his door in the dark. Holding up a hand to shield his eyes, he pressed a button on the wall. The door slid open, revealing the brightly illuminated hallway. He squinted as the light stabbed his eyes, but did not close them.

He waited in the hallway, as his eyes adjusted. It took a few minutes. Once he could see properly, he set off at a brisk pace towards the library. He would study something. He would remain in the library until sunrise, then he would seek council with a Jedi. Someone who he could speak to.

In the library there were the ever present guards, and a few Jedi, who looked tired but dedicated to their search. He almost asked to help them with their projects. He did not care how he spent the hours until sunrise, just that he did something.

But he made his way to one of the statues at the end of the long bookshelves, staring up at Eeth Koth, in stone. He thought for a moment, then decided he would research Hoth. Because at this time of night, the question of Why has never been more irrelevant.

Leaving the library as the librarians arrived, he made his way to breakfast in the kitchens, where he occupied himself with some porridge and fruit. He ate it unthinkingly, glancing at the time on his tablet every few seconds or so. As soon as the time hit seven he left and ran up to one of the high towers.

He found himself slowing down when he got to the turbolift. After almost a minute, the doors opened again and he was able to step into a small hallway. These were Master Yoda's private quarters.

He waited in a circular room, throwing furtive looks at the set of doors leading to Master Yoda's private chambers. Eventually, he felt Master Yoda's presence change from meditative, to aware. The doors opened on their own. "Come in." Called a voice.

Yousa stepped into a very dim room, with wooden slats on the walls, letting in horizontal bars of light. "Greetings, young Padawan." Yousa moved to a chair near Master Yoda's. "Greetings, Master Yoda." The short green man surveyed him quietly, then. "Troubles you, what does?"

Yousa took a breath. "My Master is sick. I try not to fear her death, but she will die, soon. Am I to continue with another Master?" Yoda closed his eyes for a moment, pondering some code of conduct that maybe hadn't been observed in many hundreds of years. "A new Master, you will have."

Yousa waited a moment. Yoda guessed what he was thinking. "Teach you to speak to her, I can." Yousa frowned. "You mean her Force Ghost?" Yoda nodded. "Those strong with the Force, may speak after death." Yousa nodded again. "What am I to do? I cannot stay with her. She will not want me to see her... See her..." He couldn't finish.

"Require time alone, you do. Loved ones may help some, but some require distance." Yousa nodded, understanding this train of thought. Meditation, and he would accept it. Yousa looked up at Master Yoda, across a small pot of incense in the center of the room.

Yousa had been meditating on his bed for three hours when Master Kenobi came in. His forehead was crinkled and he looked apprehensively at Yousa. Anakin was nowhere in sight. "I've just spoken with the doctors. They're going to put her in a coma until they have a cure."

Yousa nodded, but did not say anything. "They think that virus was put in the water, meaning it can't be naturally occurring." Yousa opened his eyes once again, thinking. "Really? Who would put it in?" Master Kenobi pulled out his holographic display. He showed him a molecule. "It's manmade, this was a deliberate attack."

Yousa's eyes widened. "Who-?" But he knew it had to be the owner of the small inn they'd stayed at. "So someone put this in her glasses of water?" Master Kenobi nodded. "I think I know who." He told Yousa. He switched to a new hologram. "Recognize this man?" The alien, a Mon Calamari, was unfamiliar to Yousa. He shook his head.

"He's Biel Daktra. Bounty Hunter. He is the man I'm going to get on Hoth. He killed another Jedi while you and Master Rudo were on Watil. I believe he may be going to Hoth to kill another Jedi who lives there." Yousa stared at the hologram. "I don't recognize him. Are you sure it was him who poisoned Master Rudo?"

Master Kenobi shook his head. "I can't be sure. But he might have slipped it to her anywhere. He might've paid someone to do it for him. We don't know who has hired him." Yousa looked into Master Kenobi's eyes. "So you and Anakin are going to capture him?" Master Kenobi looked back at him. "Yes."

Yousa closed his eyes again, expecting that was it. "Revenge is not the Jedi way. If you were to come, it would be to assist me in capturing him." Yousa opened his eyes, but did not look at Master Kenobi. "I want him captured."

"I saw you were studying Hoth last night." Yousa nodded. "Your knowledge of the planet would be helpful. And I imagine it would be good for you to leave here, to be away from her and the other Jedi. It can feel rather crowded in the Temple." He finally looked at Master Kenobi. "You'd need to approve it with the Council."

He nodded seriously. "And I wouldn't want to leave Anakin behind. Will you two get along?" Yousa nodded. "We do." Master Kenobi smiled. "Let us go to the Council." They stood again, Yousa stretching his legs, and they left out his door, into the corridor. "Master Kenobi, I feel you should know I spoke with Master Yoda this morning. I asked him for advice and council."

Master Kenobi nodded. "And what did Master Yoda say?" He asked, as they stopped at the doors to a turbolift. "He said I required distance from her, that I needed to be alone to grieve. I asked if I'd be given a new Master, he said I would." Master Kenobi nodded. "I expect you will. They will not stop you becoming a Jedi because your Master died. I should know."

Yousa had heard the stories of Master Jinn, how he'd died fighting a Sith. They stepped into the turbolift. Once they'd reached the Council Chambers they waited outside, as the group spoke to a different Jedi Master about something or other. They waited, even after the Jedi left the room. After a moment they called them in, and Yousa was standing in the Council Chamber. There was Master Yoda, still smelling of his incense.

And there was the real Eeth Koth. Not stone, but flesh. Master Windu called the meeting to order. "Master Kenobi, what brings you before us today?" Master Kenobi breathed in, and started. "Council. As some of you know, Master Rudo was taken ill this week. I stand with her Padawan, Yousa Bapeo. I have reason to believe that the Bounty Hunter I've been tracking for some time may have poisoned her. Her condition is deteriorating, rapidly. I believe he may target Master Vatoo on the planet Hoth next."

"Yousa here has studied the planets ecosystem extensively. I feel he may be useful on my mission to Hoth. And as he has no Master currently, I would not be taking him away from Master Rudo, while she is sick. I come before you asking your permission to take both Yousa, and my own Padawan on the journey to Hoth."

There was some murmuring to this. "If this Bounty Hunter really has taken Three Jedi lives, perhaps it will be better to send a party there." Said Master Windu. "Sending a single Jedi and two Padawan may be a gross underestimate of this adversary." There was some agreement in the air.

"So far, the Hunter Biel Dektra has been very careful to cover his steps. Using only methods of killing that would slip past us. But when I looked closer at the Jedi who were attacked, they all were harmed by the same toxin." He pulled out his holographic display again, showing the molecule.

"I believe that any large party would go noticed, and so our man may abandon the planet in favor of another target. In addition, a man and two children will arise less suspicion than a group of Jedi." There was some agreement with this argument. "And do you think you can handle two Padawan at once? It is not something we often permit." This came again from Master Windu.

"I believe two Padawan may be essential. Aside from what I earlier noted about anonymity being key, my own Padawan has proven an excellent pilot and swordsman. While Yousa has proven his intellectual prowess in all tests."

"And you believe if you can find the Bounty Hunter, you may find a cure for the poison in Master Rudo?" Master Kenobi nodded. "It would fit the habit of a paid assassin. To carry an antidote in case your target becomes more valuable alive." Master Windu nodded, apparently satisfied.

Yoda had not taken his eyes off of Yousa. "Ready are you? Ready to leave your Master and train under a new one?" The room looked to Yousa.

"I wish to bring my Master good health again. I believe I may do that on Hoth." The council looked to each other.

"Master Kenobi, we grant you an additional Padawan, Yousa Bapeo. You take him knowing he is your responsibility?" Master Kenobi nodded. "Very well. May the Force be with you."

Fifteen minutes later, Yousa was seeing Master Kenobi off. Master Kenobi had left to get more Nutrition Paks and winter clothes, now that they would have three people instead of two in the tent. Yousa thought the rest of their equipment would still work nicely.

Master Kenobi had already told Anakin there was a chance of Yousa coming, and apparently Anakin had not minded. Yousa wondered if Anakin got to see many other Padawan. He'd never paid much attention to how frequently Anakin was on Coruscant before, but he didn't see him often. He knew Anakin was only three years or so into his training.

He decided to do some lightsaber training. He went to a training room and put on a helmet. It blocked his sense of sight and most of his hearing. He could hear the faint hum of his lightsaber, as the drone he was using flew in a circle around him, firing bolts of energy occasionally at him that he would block with his green blade.

As the time wore on, the drone started firing more and more frequently. He was soon turning this way and that, blocking bolts just with the Force. The Force flowed through him as he felt a wall behind his back. He blocked bolts, three a second now, even as he recalled features of Hoth's landscape noted in the Database. He had studied hard, not knowing he'd be going to Hoth, it'd been for something to do. But now, it was life and death.

Master Rudo's life and death.

He could feel sweat forming on his back, as he continuously blocked and moved, sensing where the drone was using the Force. His sweaty palms on the metal surface of his saber kept slipping, he tried to grip it tighter, but eventually his luck ran out. The saber dropped, and the drone shot bolts at his chest, once, twice, he Force-Pushed it away.

Being a training device, the beams had only stung slightly, but it felt more acute with two of his senses inhibited. He took off the helmet. Across the room he saw a few younger Padawan watching impassively as he picked up his fallen saber. He turned it off, the sucking noise oddly loud in his ears.

He went to the now fallen drone, which was intact, having had much worse done to it than he'd done. He replaced it in a closet. His arms were aching from holding his saber up for so long. He left the room and the few Padawan who had watched him for the kitchens. Lunch was a satisfying rice and stew that he stomached easily.

While he ate, he looked around to his fellow Padawan, eating in groups of four or larger. Anakin was eating by himself, across the hall. He seemed unconcerned, so maybe he liked eating alone. Or perhaps he was just used to it.

Yousa picked up his plate and dropped it on the counter, where droids were cleaning them. He made his way up to his room. The meditation had helped greatly, he could tell from his saber training. He'd meditate a bit more, perhaps. Or perhaps he'd have a nap. He hadn't slept last night, after all.

Yousa was asleep in his bed, mouth open slightly as his chest rose and fell. He might've slept that way until early morning, where he would've gotten everything into a ship for their journey to the Hoth system. But his dreams turned to smoky visions of two men dueling, sabers flashing, though he could not tell what colors they were.

There was a moment, a horrible moment, where both men held out there hands to each other, as though trying to push the other away, but they both flew back. Sabers clashed, he could hear them, he could hear an alarm, feel a rising heat, engulfing all in flames as the sound of clashing warriors crescendoed.

He woke up, sweating and breathing hard. He pulled out his tablet, typing out his dream as best he could, while it was still fresh. He checked the time. It was three in the morning. He wondered what to do with this vision, but decided he'd wait until they got back from Hoth before getting an opinion of it.

 **Author's Note: I'm trying to read a thesaurus so I can vary my word choice a bit more, so if the wording seems... _unenviable_ , please try and _cope. _ Anywho, if you appreciated this story, please leave a review. I'll respond to your _inquiries_ as best I can without ruining the plot. **


	3. Cold, Blue Planet

Yousa stared out the window at the stars streaking by quickly. Hyperspace certainly looked pretty, he'd say that. They'd left Coruscant an hour beforehand, having loaded everything together onto the ship, he was happy to be sitting quietly, drinking a cup of hot Pejutah.

He'd downloaded everything the Temple knew about Hoth onto his tablet, and was examining a holographic model of a Wampa, then hitting a button on the tablet and examining the revealed bones and organs of the creature. He had read about how to tame Tauntaun's, about how to make or find an effective cave, many other useful things.

Yousa was modest, but he felt he knew more about Hoth by now than the average Padawan. As if to confirm, Anakin sat in the seat opposite Yousa, staring out the window from separate sides. Like being in a train car. "What's that?" Asked Anakin curiously, pointing to the Wampa skeleton.

"Wampa. If you see this on Hoth, run. Don't try and kill it, it will kill you." Anakin raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "Isn't Master Kenobi letting you fly?" He shook his head. "Not much to fly. Hyperspace is basically autopilot. Besides, he doesn't like encouraging me."

Something about his tone said that he didn't really believe that. "Well, he doesn't like admitting I'm a better flyer." Yousa nodded. Though not really understanding. "I suppose everyone has their advantages." Yousa said charitably. "Quite." Anakin nodded.

"Have you studied any of the other planets in the Outer Rim?" Asked Anakin. Yousa shook his head. "No, but I may when we get to Hoth. I suppose there will be some free time." Anakin nodded. "I'm from Tatooine, myself. The cold is always a little jarring to me."

"I think the tent will be warm. It uses infrared heaters to heat our bodies rather than the air. And we'll have our fire, our clothes." Anakin didn't seem to hear him. Yousa looked back at his tablet. Seeing he still had reasonably good signal, he downloaded some more information about Outer Rim planets. "I wonder what Master Kenobi thinks will happen on Hoth."

"He thinks that Biel will track Master Vatoo, whoever that is. You know them?" Yousa shook his head, though he could tell Anakin had asked because Yousa had been at the Temple for so much longer. "I've never heard of them. Perhaps they're retired." Anakin shook his head. "Who'd retire to Hoth?" Who, indeed.

Master Kenobi called them into the cockpit. They moved quietly through the small hallway from the sitting area to the front of the ship. Master Kenobi nodded to them when they entered. "We'll be there in an hour. For the purposes of conserving fuel, we won't use the ship, just the tent."

Yousa expected as much, but hearing it said was valuable. "Now, if you'd get the things from the back, we can change into appropriate clothing." Anakin went to get the crate full of clothes, while Yousa looked out the glass canopy of the cockpit. "Beautiful." He said simply. "It is." Master Kenobi said vaguely, checking something on a nearby screen.

Anakin reappeared, bringing a box full of white clothing in. Some sturdy black boots, but otherwise everything was white and beige. Meant to blend in easily, not draw attention from any hostiles. Once they were changed, Yousa tried to find a place to pin his lightsaber. He settled on right below his breast pocket.

Pinned horizontally, it was slightly strange looking, but easily accessible. Then he saw Anakin pin it to the side of his coat, where it was less in the way. Yousa mimicked him. Master Kenobi rummaged in the box, pulling out some macrobinoculars and climbing equipment. He passed it to them.

"That should be everything we'll need immediately. Everything else we'll need to get in the tent." It was a little stuffy in the thick coats, but they sat waiting to reach the planet. "There is a small plantation on the planet, not more than three hundred people work and live there, they grow a plant the Tauntauns feed on, and sell it to Republic hospitals. It has some medicinal uses."

"I believe he'll stay there, as there are some rooms for rental there. Our cover story, should anyone ask you, are two sons out with their father for a week of camping and ice-fishing." The Padawan nodded. "Good. We're entering the Hoth system now." They slowed after a minute, stopped in front of a gigantic blue and white sphere.

Master Kenobi looked at a screen. "I see some lakes near the equator. About twenty kilometers from Master Vatoo's house and about the same from the plant." But once they entered the atmosphere, the ship started to shake badly. "There's a blizzard! Our engines are having trouble keeping warm." Master Kenobi struggled to keep the ship flying, as Anakin ran around the room, switching things this way and that.

Master Kenobi stood and moved out of the way, so Anakin could sit in the pilot seat. Yousa grabbed the wall as they felt a great bump. Anakin was navigating the spinning ship towards the ground, trying desperately to keep them from all-out crashing. They jerked to the left suddenly, and Anakin's eyes went wide.

With a crunch of snow, the ship landed. Roughly, but intact and not buried. The snow was hammering into the ship and the wind was howling. Anakin turned the ship off. "We have two hours before the temperature starts dropping." Said Yousa, checking the local time on his tablet. "We need to set up now."

Anakin motioned out. "In this?" Yousa nodded. "This'll have to do." Master Kenobi, silent since he'd stood to let Anakin fly, nodded. He went to the cargo area in the small ship, finding the crate with the tent. He took it out. "We should set it up-" Yousa was already reading the instructions. Master Kenobi stood waiting for Yousa to tell him what to do.

Yousa closed his eyes, dropped the instructions, held out his hands and closed his eyes. The Force seized the tent and unfolded it, inserting the poles into the fabric sleeves, pulling the metal rope in any of the four corners taut, awaiting stakes to be pushed in.

The door of the ship opened, the tent making out into the swirling whiteness, the wind howling as the stakes went soaring out after it, then drove themselves into the frozen snow. Anakin and Master Kenobi, though impressed, grabbed things and brought them into the now completed tent. Yousa took a moment to breathe, then grabbed a crate and followed. The interior of the tent was spacious, a little dark, as it had no windows in the walls. But Anakin was setting up some light and Master Kenobi was touching a panel on the wall of the tent.

Yousa unpacked the fire supplies, putting it into the middle of the tent, where the ceiling was highest. He pulled out a square of sheet metal, carefully placed it flat on the floor, and then pulled out a small cylinder of fuel. Placing it in the middle of the sheet, where a small groove was set into the metal, he pulled out a shuttered metal box, which he placed over the fuel cylinder, screwing it into place and then using his lightsaber to light the flame.

Instantly the heat could be felt coming from the small box, and it would not be long until it was warm in the tent. Anakin came back in with another crate, this one with sleeping bags that Yousa laid out in a triangle around the 'fire'. Yousa heard the rumble of the speeder, and knew Master Kenobi was driving it out of the ship, parking it next to the tent.

In less than an hour, they had everything set up, and the ship was closed. Anakin was examining the small portable furnace in the middle of the room. "I'm afraid tonight is going to be very cold. It normally is at night, it frequently gets to -60." Yousa told Master Kenobi, who was reading the instructions on the portable stove, ready to make lunch, though it was surely supper time locally.

"And there's no hope of setting out to Master Vatoo's house before dark?" But he didn't think there was, the sky was already growing dark, the howling wind was still loud, though slightly broken by the speeder next to the tent, blocking the wind from blowing the tent away. Yousa shook his head. "It would be unwise, especially with a blizzard."

Anakin took out his own tablet. "Can you send me some of the things you had about Hoth?" Yousa nodded, sending a few essays written about the common Tauntauns or Wampa. He was currently reading a book written about the volcanoes on the equator. But they were at least one hundred kilometers away.

Master Kenobi settled in on some meditation. The Padawan both read quietly. Yousa realized something. "Anakin? Did you manage to get us down near a lake?" Anakin thought about it. "I was just trying to land. I think we're close to one, I saw something shiny when we were crashing." Yousa frowned. "We'll need to figure that out."

Anakin paused. "Can't we just melt snow?" Yousa shook his head. "Steam would only make the tent colder. We'll see in the morning. We might have to dig the tent out a bit before we leave. It isn't uncommon to get two or three feet of snow per night, in a blizzard."

Yousa reached over and grabbed a Nutrition Pak. He dug through the dried nuts, berries, and carrot. They stayed silent as Master Kenobi meditated. Eventually, not opening his eyes, he turned his head to the left, as though he could see through the wall of the tent. "There's someone out there." Yousa didn't feel anything for a moment, but then he felt someone, tired, near exhaustion, and he heard a voice.

Yousa was up very quickly, drawing his saber and throwing it to Master Kenobi, who took them and hid them in his much larger coat. Yousa unzipped the tent, the bitter cold biting his exposed skin, as he pulled goggles over his eyes. Anakin was up, apprehensively glancing around the tent outside too. Yousa couldn't see anything ten feet in front of him, such was the blizzard.

Yousa closed his eyes and felt his way forward with the Force, before he stopped and opened his eyes, seeing a distant figure, clothed in black. He pulled out his macrobinoculars and turned them to thermal vision. Sure enough, he saw the man in question.

He looked lost, from the way he turned and looked around. Yousa was ready to help him. He didn't think any foe they'd be facing was stupid enough to make his way into a blizzard. He ran through the snow, the effect of the darkness of the sky and snow rushing past him like that of hyperspace. He found the man, and with a movement of his hand, the man stopped walking.

"Hello?" Yousa stepped forward, revealing himself under his hood, goggles, and coat. The man turned to him, invisible under a full face mask, and Yousa wished he'd brought his saber. The man held out a hand, desperation perhaps, and Yousa took it.

They were only fifty or so feet from their tent, but Yousa supported the man the whole way. He did not dare use the Force to support the man, as he wasn't sure if the man would sense it. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a lot of fear from the man. Afraid to die in the cold, maybe, but why head out at all?


	4. Wampas, Slavery

TGP Chapter Four.

Yousa struggled along, dragging the semi-conscious man with him to the tent, hoping he hadn't meant to kill them or something. When he got to the door, it opened for him, Anakin on the other side. He heaved the dark clothed figure into the warmth of the tent and the glow of the lights.

Anakin opened up a sleeping bag and Yousa tried placing the figure into it. As he did, he pulled back the hood and mask.

It was a girl.

Yousa was a Padawan, a very controlled thirteen-year-old boy, who valued meditation more than beauty. But even he had to admit she was beautiful. She didn't look very old, maybe sixteen, with auburn colored hair and a slender face. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing heavily, and Yousa could tell she'd been out there for some time.

Yousa fell backward into the floor, as Anakin sealed the tent once again and the roaring wind was not so loud anyone had to shout to be heard. He was breathing heavily, too. The snow had made for tough navigation, especially at night. Yousa supposed he was lucky he'd found the tent.

"She'll be fine," Said Master Kenobi, having checked her pulse. He dragged her sleeping bag a bit closer to the fire. "but it's good you found her when you did. She needs sleep. She looks like she walked from town." Yousa raised an eyebrow, eating his lunch again. "Town is twenty kilometers, right? That's a far walk."

"Maybe her speeder crashed." Suggested Anakin, sitting down across from her. Yousa leaned over and nudged open her eye. Her iris dilated slightly. "She's responsive. Probably-" But she answered for herself, breathing heavily. "I'm fine, I think. Thank you." She was still breathing heavily.

Yousa moved backwards, then stood and moved across the tiny furnace to sit cross-legged. "I'm Alesha Kro. My speeder crashed, like you said. I was coming to see who you were, sensors picked up a ship descending not far from town." Master Kenobi nodded, then introduced himself and the Padawan. Though not as Padawan, of course. He told her about their family activities, how they planned to go ice fishing and whatnot.

She smiled, surveying Anakin and Yousa wearily. "Sounds like fun. I hope I'm not imposing, but I think it best if I stay here tonight. It's too cold to find my speeder and it might be under six inches of snow already." She looked as though she was not happy to be spending the night in a tent with three boys. Yousa exchanged a look with Anakin.

Master Kenobi, witnessing her distrust, didn't comment. "I'd be happy to take you to where you think you crashed, if you have a way of locating your cruiser under the snow." She held up a small disk, Yousa recognized it as a self-guiding metal detector. "I do, but it gets much colder than it is right now." Master Kenobi nodded, then offered to let her stay in their ship.

Yousa could tell the offer was meant to be tempting, but unacceptable. She couldn't have them turn on their ship and risk the engine having troubles in the cold, or drain their fuel. "No, thank you. I'll just stay in here." Anakin stood up. "Have you eaten yet?" He asked her. She nodded curtly. He shrugged and made his way to their box in the corner, pulling out a Nutrition Pak for himself. Yousa grabbed his, which he'd dropped in the earlier frenzy of someone outside the tent.

Master Kenobi smiled at her, then leaned forward under the pretense of cleaning something off of his shoe. Yousa knew he was trying to detect any ill will coming from her, but it seemed despite her attitude, she wasn't harmful. She yawned, then stretched, when her arms separated from her body, Yousa could tell she was limber and strong.

She laid down on the sleeping bag again, closing her eyes. It might have been late to her, but it wasn't past afternoon in their bodies, so they sat awkwardly for a minute, then they laid down under the pretense of falling asleep. Anakin munched his granola thoughtfully, then went to his tablet. Yousa's tablet made a small sound, not audible over the wind except to him. He saw the message from Anakin.

 _Mistrustful. Why?_ Yousa turned off the volume, typing back. _I don't know. She seems standoffish._ Anakin sniffed, shifting on the ground. He messaged back. _We're down a sleeping bag_. Yousa replied. _I'll take the floor, whatever._ Anakin seemed to have no argument with this. Yousa stood up and moved to the crate in the corner that had there changes of clothes. He pulled out a pair of pants and inverted them, the smooth and warm fabric felt good on the inside.

He placed the pants in a crumpled heap by the fire, then laid his head on them, still near the warmth of the fire.

As the hours ticked on, the girl seemed to have nightmares. She would fall asleep, stir a little, and wake up with a groan after a few minutes. Eventually, she seemed to give up on sleep. Staring at the ceiling, on her back. She jumped whenever there was a noise, causing the three men to stop eating granola or scratching their beard.

She didn't seem interested in talk, but she seemed alert. Yousa would normally spend hours with nothing to do meditating, but he felt it was a bad idea. It might give away their cover. Anakin seemed to think along these lines as well, for he tried falling asleep, but Yousa would often catch him looking at the girl, as though she were really a threat.

He saw no weapons on her frame, and in a jacket that tight, he was sure he'd see a blaster. Master Kenobi might've really been asleep, or he was meditating lying down, something Jedi were not known for doing. The silence stretched on for a while.

Yousa moved more than a few centimeters for the first time in a while and the girl jumped slightly. Yousa found a shovel he'd bought secured in a crate with the fuel canisters. He tossed it to Anakin, who caught it mildly. "We'll need that in the morning." He told him.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to get it right now?" Yousa shrugged. "Well, the silence in this tent could be cut with a Wampa tooth so I thought I'd get it now." He used his sharp wit rarely, and now seemed like a good time to pretend to be brothers who fought all the time.

Anakin seemed to follow this train of thought. "Whatever." Alesha didn't give a sign she'd heard them. Yousa tried to get some sleep.

With dawn came itchy eyes and Master Kenobi shaking Yousa awake in the morning, discreetly handing him his lightsaber. "I hid these in the bottom of the Nutrition Paks. Don't let it be visible." Yousa took it, glancing around the tent for Alesha and Anakin. He tucked it into his belt underneath his coat. "They're looking for water. I told them we'd dig the tent out."

As soon as the tent opened, Yousa could see they gotten a good foot of snow since last night. He started to work with the shovel, thinking quietly. He heard Master Kenobi banging around with some pots inside. He looked up at the sun, which was behind a cloud, but still illuminating the white landscape. Nothing had color or definition, except for some mountains on the horizon with some blue ice forming on the slopes.

Yousa cleared more and more, wishing he'd rented a snowplow. He looked up and saw the long black speeder coming straight for them, kicking up clouds of snow and melting some of it with the exhaust from the engines. Yousa could see the black figure of Alesha and the white figure of his fellow Padawan.

He kept at it, as the speeder slowed down ten feet away and came to a whining halt. Anakin hopped down from it and gave it a pat, as though it was a noble steed. He carried a bucket of what looked like water into the tent. Alesha stood watching him. Yousa felt awkward. "Can I get you something?" She took a long, calculating look at him.

"If you're his son why aren't you human?" She tested. He improvised. "Well, he isn't really my dad. He and my mom got married." She seemed to regret her brash accusatory question. Yousa just hoped he could convey what he'd said to Master Kenobi and Anakin.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking at his boots. "I'm... Not easily trusting." Yousa nodded, but didn't look at her. "It's just... I don't work for people I can trust." She told him quietly, before he'd struck the snow again. "But don't tell them I said that!" She said quickly. Yousa gave her a side-eye. "You can't trust them. You can't speak critically of them. Are you a slave?"

She didn't answer. But after a second she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. Then jerked a thumb over her shoulder, still looking at the ground. "...Just get my speeder out of the snow. Then I can be out of your hair." Yousa shook his head. "I don't know. I think they're making you some breakfast." She looked abashed, at her behavior or having her freedom questioned, Yousa didn't know.

Anakin poked his head out. "Food!" He called, not seeing them around the back of the tent. "Grab me something, okay?" He asked her. She nodded and shuffled off. He kept digging, getting maybe two-thirds done before she came back, holding out a mug of stew and some Insta-Bread. He took the mug from her, slipped the bread into his pocket.

Yousa sipped the hot soup, Alesha ate some bread. He wondered if she got enough to eat. She ate slowly, like conserving. He took his bread and gave it to her. She accepted it without question, eating a little faster. He finished drinking and dropped the mug on top of the snow, then dug the trench out the rest of the way.

Yousa made his way inside, leaving their guest in the snow. He found Master Kenobi washing out the dishes in a small tub of steaming water. He handed him the mug, telling both of them quietly about the lie he'd told Alesha and his suspicions. Anakin made little comment, but Master Kenobi seemed to ponder. "It is possible."

After he was done, they all went out and hopped onto the speeder. Anakin in the front, Master Kenobi behind him, Yousa in the third position, and the girl in the back. They roared off. Yousa watching as the exhaust melted snow in two lines underneath them all, one on either side of the speeders engine. Yousa shut his eyes against the bitter rush of air, not thinking about putting on his goggles before they'd left.

They moved a small distance away, but the tent was no longer visible. Then they stopped. Anakin shouted back over the loud humming of the engine. "This where you think you crashed?" Yousa turned, and saw the girl nod to him. The engine cut, and they all dismounted.

When their feet touched the ground, Yousa's legs sunk four feet, burying him to the chest in snow. He heard Anakin give a cry of shock, but the sound of cracking ice filled his ears as behind him, the ground caved in. The girl screamed.

Yousa recalled the dwellings of the common gray breasted female Wampa. During the cold, they went in to caves, trying to find Tauntaun packs to feed from. They would often stay in the cave after they'd eaten their fill, content with its shelter. But once in awhile, a Wampa would stumble on a cave system. The deeper they went, the closer to the planets core they would get.

Wampa's had been documented living in these caves before, in early expeditions to Hoth. Sometimes, a cavern would be so tall as to be near ground level. Wampa body heat would melt ice, such was their size. If you stepped on it, you might fall through.

Yousa thought of this very quickly. As Master Kenobi turned toward the sound, realizing there were now three on their party, Yousa rushed to the hole. There was not much light. He didn't hear anything... Could she still be falling? Then he heard a whimper of pain. "Please! Help me!" Anakin and Master Kenobi appeared, looking down too. Master Kenobi pulled out a torch. They saw her, lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.

Yousa turned to them and said simply: "Wampa." Anakin's eyes went wide, apparently he'd read the essays Yousa sent him. Master Kenobi looked down at the girl, puzzled. "How do we get her out? We have the climbing equipment you bought." He offered. Yousa shook his head, as the girl gave a cry of pain and a snorting sound echoed up to them, the Wampa waking up. They were nocturnal, it'd been sleeping.

"No time, she'll be eaten before then." You pointed to Anakin. "Get the speeder down there, the harpoon." He nodded, understanding Yousa's plan. He turned to Master Kenobi. "Do you trust me?" He nodded quickly. "Look for nearby caves, see if you can find the entrance." Master Kenobi nodded, walking cautiously until he started to rise in the snow, then he started sprinting.

The roar of the engine firing, Yousa jumped and somersaulted into the cavern, cushioning his fall with the Force, landing next to her. He looked around quickly. "What? Now you're stuck down here! Get out, it'll eat us both!" But Yousa got down on a knee, placing a hand over her mouth. Anakin was doing derby spins over the roof of the sixty foot cavern. He checked her leg, broken, horribly.

Down here was the first dirt he'd seen on Hoth. He'd known it'd existed here, of course, but it was jarring when all he'd seen so far had been white snow. The Wampa was waking up, he could see in the darkness large white limbs shifting. He saw something rise and rise up.

He'd seen smaller Rancor.

It was blinking the sleep from its eyes. Yousa, deciding their lives were more important than their secret, held out his hand, the lightsaber flying to it. The girl, who's mouth he was still covering, looked at it, then at him. He held a finger up to his mouth.

Snow kicked down every few seconds when the back of Anakin's speeder passed over the hole in the ceiling, blocking out the sun so that they were submerged in darkness for half a second. Anakin was using the exhaust vents to melt his way down through the ceiling. He revved the engine hard, spinning faster in a 360 degree drift. Creating a tumble of snow that came down on Yousa and the girl. The Wampa gave a roar.

Yousa pulled her up, bracing her against himself, he moved her to the cavern wall. The Wampa couldn't run, being as large and heavy as it was, but it did come toward him menacingly, swinging out an arm. He turned on his lightsaber and swung it elegantly through the air, just a green light. At his feet, two feet long with a two foot nail, fell the Wampa's finger.

The beast roared, stepping back as red blood poured from it. It brought the finger to its large mouth. The roar reverberated so loudly in the small cave, Yousa thought his head would burst. But something much worse happened. The ceiling gave a shake, and hundreds of icicles were shaken loose, falling to them. They would surely kill him and the girl.

He launched himself on top of her, on his back, then spinning his saber in wide arks through the air. He saw in slow motion as his blade chopped icicles in half, melting them as it passed by, so that the two of them were showered with some water and ice cubes. But the ceiling was cracking, Anakin was finally melting through it.

The Wampa came back at them, and Yousa was sure it would fight through any pain this time. It wouldn't care if he sliced off its arm this time, it would keep trying until he or it were dead. But then the ceiling gave, and the speeder and two tons of snow came down on top of the beast. It fell, howling now, as Anakin's speeder balanced on top of its head. He rode down its body, moving in expert turns. It fell back against the wall, and it's head hit the ice, knocking it unconscious.

Yousa turned off his saber. "I thought you wanted me to harpoon it. But I think I-" "Fell on it. Yeah. That works too." Anakin knelt beside the girl, moaning in pain. "How do we get out now?" Asked Yousa, looking around. Anakin motioned to the speeder. "Harpoon. Meant to pull down glaciers, after all."

He jumped, a boost from the Force, and he was astride. He rolled his back, a practiced motion of moving forward in his seat, and activated the harpoon system. He aimed it, Yousa saw it swivel, and Anakin shot it into the wall. It went in like it was butter, about twenty feet in there, it stopped.

Anakin reversed, pulling the ice. It splintered, spider webbed, and finally crashed. It brought down a bit of the wall, then some more, until it avalanched into a bumpy yet usable ramp. Anakin pulled down his goggles, then held out a hand. Yousa reached up, and with some heaving, pushing, and a little bit of Force moving, he was astride it with the girl laid across his lap. He picked her up, bridal style, and pulled his goggles down.

They moved off, up the bumpy ramp, managing only because of Anakin's superb skill. Yousa held onto her, in case she fell off. She was weak, she clearly couldn't stand or sit by herself. They tore across the snow, finding Master Kenobi shuffling through the snow, trying to find them again. He grabbed on with no questions, and they zoomed back to the tent.

Yousa explained everything when the speeder shut off, about how they faced the Wampa, about how they'd fought it, about Anakin's timing and the harpooning of the wall, as Master Kenobi examined her leg in the tent. He motioned for Anakin to go get the emergency kit from their ship.

She didn't wake up, Master Kenobi said that was for the best. "She'll be fine. She'll need to be cared for though. And somehow I don't believe her slave owner will do that for her. I'll need to tell them I want to buy her. Not the low profile I'd hoped for." He pinched his nose, as Anakin came back in, holding a white box.

"We can barter with the Wampa's corpse. The nails have medicinal purposes. Its fur is warm and good for bedding. It's meat is nutritious. It's certainly enough for one slave." Said Anakin. Yousa nodded in agreement. Master Kenobi nodded thoughtfully, looking at the girl. "Go unearth it Anakin, bring it here. I will depart to town tonight, with the Wampa in tow, and will sell it. In exchange for the girl's freedom."


End file.
